That Was My Last Nerve, and You, Sir, Just Stomped On It!
by LauraCynthia
Summary: Spock raises Doctor McCoy's ire by once again logically winning an argument. Which leads Bones to wonder... For fans of my "Star Trek Shorts" series in the 2009 movie's section. One shot.


Something was definitely up.

Kirk was strolling down to sickbay to chat up Bones. The _Enterprise _was currently in orbit around Endicott 7A, awaiting the return of a science department landing party currently engaged in obtaining water samples for further analysis. Spock had returned early to deliver some of the samples to sickbay.

That was almost an hour ago, and as of yet, Kirk had not seen either Spock or McCoy since. Which wouldn't be odd, except for the way Spock appeared as Kirk rounded the corner.

His face had the usual bland _I'm thinking about something monumentous_ expression it often did when his mind was elsewhere, but there was more. It was in his stride, the way he carried himself. And a ghost of a smile. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen anything approaching pleased in Spock's eyes.

"Mister Spock?" Kirk waved his hand in front of the Vulcan's face. He looked up at Kirk, not in the least startled. _And there it was again._ Satis-faction?

"I have delivered the samples, sir. I was just on my way back to the bridge. If you will excuse me?" And he was off. Just like that.

_Yup, something's up…._

Kirk nodded at Lieutenants Bing and Sharpley as he passed them coming out of a nearby laboratory. They returned the gesture and continued on in hushed tones, occasionally glancing backwards as though they believed they were being followed. _Well….._

He wandered into sickbay, which was empty except for him, making his way to McCoy's office. As he neared the door, Kirk heard a low grumbling voice. "Ooohhhh!" He rapped lightly on the door, then walked in.

McCoy sat at his desk, deep in concentration, but the frown twisting his reddened features was not entirely due to focused thought. Indeed, the CMO looked…. downright frustrated. _So what else is new?_ Apparently whatever was occupying the screen had his whole attention.

"Hey, Bones, these the samples?" Kirk picked up a small jar of clear liquid from a collection of them and shook it; purple sediment swished back and forth.

"Of course! Now go aw-I- oh, Jim…." He looked up, his features softening a little, but not much. "Sorry. Have a seat…I'll just be with you in a jif." McCoy's gaze returned to the computer screen. "Puh….I know you're there…..somewhere…just gotta find it."

Kirk lowered himself into the chair across from McCoy. "Find what? A cure to some malevolent plague? The meaning of life? Or," he leaned in, folding his arms on the desk and leaning forward, "your house keys?"

"How about a formula for Idiot Be Gone?" McCoy grunted.

"That bad, huh?" He sighed. Then a thought occurred to him. "Does this have anything to do with a certain First Officer, by any chance?"

McCoy 's gaze flitted between the screen and Kirk. "Now what-all ever gave you that idea?" he drawled drily. "We had a "_slight_ difference of opinions", as _he'd_ no doubt characterize it." He stabbed the screen with his index finger.

"Need I ask who won?"

"Couldn't you tell?" He looked back at the screen, waving his hand towards Kirk. "That impudent little know-it-all-"

"Well, let's see it." When McCoy made no move to stop him, Kirk came around behind the desk and lowered himself to eye level with the computer screen. "Hey, I thought you were a doctor, not a genealogist. What's with the family trees?"

"Just looking up Spock's family on his mother's side." McCoy grabbed a glass next to his computer and drained the amber contents in one gulp, slamming the glass down noisily.

"Looking for anything in particular?" Kirk studied the screen before turning to face McCoy again.

"Oh, just a wild hunch." McCoy drummed his fingers on the desk. "Wondering if he's got any relatives named Hatfield!" He slammed his fist down on the desk, wincing.

Kirk tried not to smile, but a boyish amusement lit his features all the same.

**Author's Note: This idea was originally thought of by me for my Star Trek Shorts series in the alternate reality movies section, but since Spock's mom died early there, I thought it would be funnier to put it here. So I wrote this with the TOS _Enterprise_ in mind.**


End file.
